Being the Average TEENAGE Ninja
by Strikey
Summary: Young Kiba Inuzuka, 15, is worried about why he hasn't met that 'special someone' yet at his age. He sees that he's not the only one with the same issue. Rejections, failures and unplanned dates are all part of what it meant to be a 'Lone Shinobi'.
1. There has to be MORE THAN ONE!

**Author Notes: This will be my very first published FANFIC on this website, and I know the prologue is rather short, but it's merely an introduction. Future chapters will become lengthier. (800-2000 words each)**

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><p><strong>The MANY Difficulties and Joys of...<strong>**  
><strong>**BEING THE AVERAGE ****TEENAGE**** NINJA**

**There's Got to Be MORE THAN One!  
><strong>_**PROLOGUE **_

It was a clear morning in Konoha's Inuzuka estate, with one particular pup being up and early. Young Kiba Inuzuka, aged 15 at the time, was going through... the usual 'teen' issue.  
>"... okay, I'm 15... So why haven't I...?" Kiba's words were stopped as a young duo passed his estate.<p>

He saw Shikamaru and Ino near the bridge by the town's pond. It seems like Asuma left the village for a mission and decided to give them their break.  
>"Hey Shikamaru, why are we here anyway?" asked Ino as she looked rather confused at the situation.<br>Shikamaru was starting to show signs of bright red cheeks, and he started to open his mouth with nervous words coming out. Kiba saw that he was preparing for something huge.  
>"Hey uhm, we've known each other since the Academy days and... up until now I wasn't able to say this but... Ino..." he was starting to sweat and seemed rather uncomfortable. "Ino... I... lov-" his words were stopped as Sai walked by.<br>"Oh Sai! You look so cute today!" as Ino clutched onto his shoulder and walked away delightfully with him.  
>Shikamaru was in shatters, with his mouth wide open and his eyes looking at Sai in jealousy. His blush started to pale into a darker purple. He knew that he failed.<p>

Kiba approached him, giving him a pat on the back, trying to re-assure him.  
>"I guess that makes two of us eh? I know exactly how you feel bud..." Kiba sighed in harmony with Shikamaru.<br>So yes, it appears our young adventurers are lovesick, with one having lost a certain crush to the shadows and the other being a puppy with no mate. The two now find themselves in a sense of depression and loneliness. So, they ask themselves...  
>"WHY ARE WE SO ALONE?" they shouted to the world with a sense of utter disappointment.<br>... and so this is where our story begins.


	2. The Unnecessary Glance

**Author Notes: Thanks for keeping up with the BTATN series! This is the first installation into the Chapters and I sure hope you enjoy! This story will be ongoing for quite a well, so please don't expect it to end so quickly (unless I become as lazy as Shikamaru). Here we see how Sakura fits into the young duo's spendid afternoon.**

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><p><strong>The MANY Difficulties and Joys of...<strong>**  
><strong>**BEING THE AVERAGE ****TEENAGE**** NINJA**

**The Unnecessary Glance  
><strong>

A week after the events of Shikamaru's embarrassment, the two lovesick shinobi find themselves at Naruto's favourite noodle shop, Ichiraku's. Kiba, after vigorously chewing at the BBQ Pork slice like a mean animal, asks himself:  
>"Who is this 'SAI-GUY' anyway? I've never seen him around here before!" he grumbled with his mouth full.<br>Shikamaru shrugged, with no clue. He didn't seem like talking... probably because of that same thing.

A pink-haired girl came along, with the sound of clicking feet as the pebbles on the crude floor were tossed.  
>"Sai is a new member of Team 7, only just to take Sasuke's place until he comes home." the young kunoichi reminisced in a certain blonde haired boy's promise. As she said her words of explanation, she joined the boys for a while.<br>Kiba started to get thoughts of his own, and saw how pretty she actually looked when Naruto wasn't around to be her punching bag. Kiba's clan markings were glowing red, signalling he was in a daze. It seemed almost like he was caught in a genjutsu of warmth. No lust, just a crush... WAITING TO BE CRUSHED.  
>"Uh, Kiba... why are you staring at me like that? You're really creeping me out!" the girl mentioned in a tone that started to get into Kiba's head. Even with that tone, Kiba refused to let go of his stare, and so there was only one solution.<br>"Oh boy, buddy, you're up for a world of hurt!" Shikamaru laughed at this dilemma. He finally seemed to want to talk after seeing how much of a bundle Kiba would be in if he didn't let go of his stare soon enough.  
>Completely clueless and unprepared for an attack: Kiba was a goner.<br>"!" as the young kunoichi slammed his head into his ramen bowl, with cracks on every side.  
>There was silence, and even the victimized Kiba couldn't say a thing. Not only was his jaw broken, but so was his heart.<br>"... that HAD to hurt... right?" Shikamaru lowered his head, tilted and saw the idle Kiba submerged in a bowl of ramen. "... are all girls really like this?"

Young Sakura, 15, an apprentice of the great Hokage Tsunade had just impaled the head of an esteemed Inuzuka.  
>She left Kiba to his own business and decided to talk to the spectating Shikamaru.<br>"So, you wanted to know about Sai?" she smiled, as if nothing had happened.  
>Shikamaru was still, and tried not to make any unnecessary gestures just in-case his head would be as swollen as the young pup's.<br>"Oh, uhm, yeah, about Sai..." Shikamaru explained all that happened a week ago by the pond.  
>As Sakura tuned in, she started to smile, then eventually burst into laughter.<p>

"YOU? WITH INO?" she couldn't hold in her tomboyish giggle.  
>"WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU WANT TO BE WITH THAT PIG! Even I know you deserve better than that mind-controlling pervert. Have you seen her behind the scenes? OH PFF, if only YOU KNEW what she really is like!" she exploded into an assertive description of the one she called 'Ino-pig'.<br>Shikamaru was sweating in confusion. He didn't know anything of this about Ino. They've been on the same team since forever, but he guessed that those two must've been real close in the past to know THIS MUCH about each other. He didn't even know if it was worth believing, but the convincing rage of Sakura was all too much to resist. He knew that if he didn't agree, he'd lose his head.  
>"Nevermind that, she didn't want to be with me anyway. She just fell for Sai and walked off remember?" recalling the story he just explained a moment ago.<br>"Yeah, but I'm sure Sai wouldn't fall for her. Sai's got a social problem anyway, and doesn't show much interest in girls." Sakura explained with the palm of her hand on her wide forehead. She sighed.  
>"Wait... does that mean he's..." Shikamaru questioned her with an unnecessary glance.<br>Sakura got annoyed at another one of those weird stares, but quickly warned him:  
>"Look at me like that again, and you're joining your buddy there swimming in soup!" she snarled. "Oh, and no... I don't think that's what floats his boat. However, I think I've seen him taking a rather close bond with Naruto – just friends though."<br>Shikamaru was up to his neck.  
>"Oh, okay... and I wasn't staring at you! No really!" he tried to cover up for his mistake. He promised himself to be more careful sometimes.<br>"Well, you should just meet him for yourself, maybe you'll learn something new." Sakura implied as she left the duo to their own problems.

Kiba finally awoke:  
>"Why does my mouth taste like beef, hair and blood?"<br>Shikamaru had no explanation ready.


	3. Locked In

**Author Notes: The next chapter of the life of our young pup. It seems that he's taking the ordeal from Sakura a bit too painfully.**

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><p><strong>The MANY Difficulties and Joys of...<strong>**  
><strong>**BEING THE AVERAGE ****TEENAGE**** NINJA**

**Locked In  
>Chapter 2<strong>

Kiba, after receiving the pounding of his life, was a tattered shinobi roaming the streets of Konoha with the intentional glare of a zombie.  
>"Ow, my aching head... why'd she have to do that?" he whined like the dog he was.<br>Upon passing by the residence of our original blonde hero, he asked himself:  
>"When's he coming home... I wonder? It's been a while, and it gets kinda quiet without his hyperactive meddling and motivational grin. I wonder if <em>she <em>misses him too."

The wind was whistling and the Autumn season brought about a moment of memory for our young fanged ninja. He remembered the time when Akamaru was diagnosed with a feral disease, and Naruto was the only one on his side of opposition. Not even his own sister went into harm's way just to defend Kiba's ninken partner. He also recalled the pain of being attacked by his puppy friend, but to see Naruto in that hospital room being careful for both of them, made a new friendship spark. Now he had someone to rely on, whenever the hound called out.

It seems that the whack from Sakura's undying wrath made Kiba's head spin around with so many thoughts. He couldn't help but just stop and think a bit more.  
>As the sun set, he decided to walk home but avoided all necessary contact with his psychopath mother. She'd be pounding him even more if she saw him this beaten up. To think, it could be even worse if she found out the beater was actually a girl.<br>"Oh boy, this is gonna be a secret that'll be kept beyond my grave. She'd never see me the same way!" he started to worry.  
>She'll probably say something like this:<br>"YOU? BEATEN BY A GIRL? Damnit Kiba! How do you expect to claim dominance over your future female partner if you'll be beaten down this easily by the fist of an everyday woman? Well, maybe that girl's gonna end up like me – the one who scared your father away. Haha!"  
>Kiba began to develop a living nightmare. With all intentions on sneaking into the house, he masked himself from the Inuzuka scent-tracking trait and made it into his room via window.<p>

"YES! That was a close one!" he joyfully proclaimed to his own little world.  
>A figure came out of the shadows.<br>"Too close for what, son?" a ferocious relative approached.  
>Kiba's eyes were in a fearful stare, with his mouth open showing how much he was afraid with his rattling teeth and fangs.<br>His foreseen nightmare, had become reality.  
>"GAAAH!"<p>

The screams of the young pup were echoing throughout the estate. By the gate, Shikamaru was waiting. He and Kiba were meant to have been sent on a mission to the Land of Waves to provide assistance with merchants, but it seems that their plan has been eradicated.  
>"What's taking him so long? We're gonna be late!" he groaned like his usual self.<br>As impatient as he was after having a rough week, he barged right through the gates, into the house, up the stairs... only to find...  
>"SON! IF YOU DON'T MAN UP, YOU AND KURUMARU WILL SPEND A LITTLE BONDING TIME WITH EACH OTHER – INSIDE THE KENNEL!" an angry mother rambled.<br>Shikamaru decided to knock on the door he had already opened.  
>"Err, did I come at a bad time Ms. Inuzuka?" he asked with an innocent smile.<br>Kiba was in a corner, as if he had passed out. His jacket appeared to have been torn to shreds as well and the bruises Sakura gave him had become even worse.  
>"Oh, hello there. Forget you ever saw anything in here, k?" as the violent parent left the room.<br>"Uh, okay m'am..." he replied without another word.  
>Shikamaru approached his mission partner, trying to see if he was alive from being beaten down twice in one day.<br>"Hey buddy, wake up!" he tugged at his swollen shoulder.  
>He was definitely knocked out and there was no hope in waking him up. He had to wait it out. A few minutes passed, then the grown partner of Kiba came along. Akamaru was poking his master. After a few more tugs, pulls and pokes... he turned to his feral instinct and bit him hard on the arm.<br>"AII!" Kiba yelled out, jumped and banged his head lightly on a shelf. An additional bruise had now began to form on his left arm. He was purple and red all over.  
>"Clumsy as ever eh? I guess it's too late to head out to the mission now though... and ol' Tsunade probably sent someone else by now." Shikamaru sighed.<p>

He decided to spend the night at Kiba's just to make sure he wouldn't find himself in a hospital bed the next day. At dinner, Kiba's mother announced:  
>"Well, Kiba, seeing as you're obviously beaten out like a punching bag and obviously not all that great a talker with the girls... you're not leaving this house until I teach you a thing or two. No meet-ups, flirting, missions or even going to walk Akamaru. You're grounded until further notice."<br>It seems like this young pup just got LOCKED IN.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town by the town gate... the Jinchuuriki of Konoha approaches with an equally disoriented Toad Sage. After three years, he's come home.


End file.
